Reply to Riding C&O down to DC in early April? Possible?

Hello all,

A buddy and I are interested in riding the C&O over an extended long Easter weekend (6 days) from Cumberland to DC.

We plan on camping along the way.

I am a little concerned that a lot of the accounts from people n the web are many years old.

Is the trail still in good repair?

Do you think it will be too muddy in early April?

I assume the water pumps will be still shut off, any other advice you could offer us?

Many Thanks in advance for any input.

Will be cooler, river will be high and lots of chance for April showers. some of the camp sites are in lower riverside areas.I thing the pump handles go on April 1. The trail has been in good shape but it is still close to the end of winter and damage at this point is unforseeable.

Thanks for the comment Lenny.

Cool is ok :) We are Canadians, it's in our blood! lol

So the trail is still in good repair then? And the tunnels will be open in April?

Thanks again

Last fall on my ride there were sections of the trail that were in pretty bad shape 9deep ruts, mud, downed limbs, etc.) We've had some pretty lousy weather since then including tons of rain and snow. If we can get some drier weather I'd think that the trail will be in fairly good shape considering. According to the website the pumps aren't turned on until April 15th so that's just about a week after Easter. There are plenty of water options and most are just off the trail. The only tunnel would be Paw Paw and that will be open unless there are repairs being made. You can give your butt a break by riding on the Western Md Rail Trail west of Hancock to near Fort Fredrick about 24 miles of smooth travel. Enjoy your trip.

Deep ruts...not 9 deep ruts. I've always rode my Trek Mamba on this route with 2" tires and 15/20 pounds or so of gear. The wider tires give you a bit more control and help get out of some of the ruts and allow you to roll over some of the limbs.

i personally wouldnt make my final plan til I got some feed back a little later this month. since your first post winter has continued in Maryland D.C. with a vengence.

Hi Lenny, folks. Thanks again everyone for the info .

We are about 2 and a half weeks put for our trip. How is the trail doing? The temps have been well above freezing for a while, just wondering if the snow has gone?

Do you guys think the trail will be reasonably passable? We both ride mountain bikes.

Thanks again

Trail conditions so far are muddy. All our snow has melted away and the stuff forecasted for tonight will not last till noon tomorrow. Generally speaking the pump handles are attached around the second week of April. The wells are treated with Iodine and has a peculiar aftertaste. Recommend filling up with good old tap water, which is plentiful if you look for it in either Nelgene bottles or H2O bladders. Spring along the towpath is generally rainy and there are some of the hiker/biker campsites that you have to pay attention to when pitching your tent or you’ll wake up swimming in your sleeping bag. Best rule of thumb is always pitch on the high ground and avoid the “bowls” where rain water pools, some times several inches deep! The condition of the towpath from Cumberland till about the other side of Williamsport is pretty, well, poor. The closer you get to Washington, DC (and all the Doctors, Lawyers and Supreme Court Chief Justices) the better it gets; and so does the traffic. If you are not a purist, you can avoid some of the muck and mud at milepost 136/Lock 56 and switch off onto the Western Maryland Rail Trail, which is packed black top like the GAP trail surface, for about 40 miles then swing back onto the towpath just west of Fort Fredrick state park and on to Williamsport, MD. Have fun, be careful and enjoy the adventure.

I will be completing the trail during this time and the plan is to camp as long as it isn't constantly pouring. We are leaving March 28th from Pittsburgh. I will try to let you know the conditions as we go. Anyone have any recommendations for Big Savage Tunnel? Detour? Up and over? How about detouring taking MD-47 around the trail meeting up on MD-36?

Can't thank you all enough for the advice and updates. We are getting excited. You know when the weather network starts forecasting on your trip dates.... you are getting close :)

Thanks so much Chris for the offer to post updates on the trail condition as you go. We will be running behind you by a few days.

I'm sorry Chris, I don't have any idea how to get around the Big Savage Tunnel? I wish we did, it is influencing where we start from.

If the board would like, we can post conditions as we roll through too. Twitter or a tumblr maybe? Let me know if there is any interest and I'm happy to oblige.

The WRMT is only 22 miles of paved surface.

Yeah I would love some updates. I'll be starting in Pittsburgh on the 6th. Any info on the trails would be great.

We'll post our experience with the trail. Conditions etc. Happy to!

The Big Savage Tunnel was opened for the season today!
http://www.post-gazette.com/life/recreation/2015/04/03/Illuminated-tunnel-on-Great-Allegheny-Passage-opens/stories/201504030309